1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure plate component group, particularly for a motor vehicle friction clutch with wear compensation. More particularly, the invention relates to a component group having a housing attachable or attached to a flywheel for common rotation around a rotational axis, and a pressure plate arranged in rotation-proof fashion in the housing and axially movable relative thereto. An energy storage device, preferably a diaphragm spring, is supported on the housing, on the one hand, and on the pressure plate, on the other, and presses the pressure plate toward a side of the housing that is provided for connection to the to flywheel. A wear compensation device is arranged in the support path of the energy storage device. At least one compensation element is prestressed in the wear compensation device and can be moved for the purpose of wear compensation.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Such pressure plate component groups, for the purpose of carrying out wear compensation, are embodied so as to comprise, further, at least one clearance indicator, which detects the wear that has occurred, during the operation of a motor vehicle friction clutch equipped with such a pressure plate component group, in the area of the friction linings of the clutch disk. For example, such wear can be detected by a clearance indicator striking against the flywheel and the corresponding movement, e.g., relative to the pressure plate and thus relative to the wear compensation device. In these known pressure plate component groups, the wear that occurs during clutch operation is always detected by the relative movement between two components of the motor vehicle friction clutch or of the pressure plate component group. Relatively expensive measures must therefore be taken to permit such wear detection. These measures include, for example, the aforementioned provision of components on the pressure plate component group that extend, for the purpose of wear detection, to the flywheel. These components are generally arranged radially outside of the area where the friction linings of the clutch disk, and thus the opposed friction surfaces of the pressure plate and the flywheel, are located. The result is a radial enlargement of the entire pressure plate component group or motor vehicle friction clutch solely for the purpose of providing the wear detection arrangement.